[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
[July 6, 1999]
[Page 1136]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 1136]]

Statement on the National Emergency With Respect to the Taliban
July 6, 1999

    I have signed an Executive order imposing financial and other 
commercial sanctions on the Afghan Taliban for its support of Usama bin 
Ladin and his terrorist network. The Taliban 
has allowed the territory under its control to be used as a safe haven 
and base of operations for Usama bin Ladin and the al-Qaida 
organization, who were responsible for the bombings of our Embassies in 
Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, last year, murdering 12 
Americans, nearly 300 Kenyans and Tanzanians, and wounding another 
5,000. To this day, bin Ladin and his network continue to plan new 
attacks against Americans, without regard for the innocence of their 
intended victims or for those non-Americans who might get in the way of 
his attack. The United States has tried repeatedly, directly and working 
with other governments, to persuade the Taliban to expel bin Ladin to 
the United States for trial or, if that is not possible, to a third 
country where he will face justice for his crimes, and to end the safe 
haven it gives to bin Ladin's network, which lives and trains in 
Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. These efforts have failed. The Executive 
order I have signed will deepen the international isolation of the 
Taliban, limit its ability to support terrorist networks, and 
demonstrate the need to conform to accepted norms of international 
behavior. The order does not affect humanitarian aid, food, and medical 
supplies for civilian use. It is not aimed at the people of Afghanistan 
but at the Taliban. Those who nurture terrorism must understand that we 
will not stand by while those whom they protect target Americans.

Note: The Executive order of July 4 is listed in Appendix D at the end 
of this volume.